tear off

/tɛəɹ ɒf/

//tɛəɹ ɒf// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"tear-off" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tear off” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To rip away from; to pull a piece from forcibly.

Key facts for tear off
PropertyValue
Headwordtear off
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/tɛəɹ ɒf/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tear off” sits in English frequency

tear off falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

tear off is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /tɛəɹ ɒf/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

tear off has no tracked misspelling variants, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct English form is tear off, spelled T-E-A-R- -O-F-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    To rip away from; to pull a piece from forcibly.
  2. 2
    To become detached by tearing or ripping.
  3. 3
    To leave or depart rapidly.

Synonyms

detachremoverip offdisconnectfleeflee

This word in other languages

arrancar(Español)arracher(Français)abreißen(Deutsch)arrancar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "tear off"?
"tear off" is spelled T-E-A-R- -O-F-F. The IPA pronunciation is /tɛəɹ ɒf/.
What does "tear off" mean?
As a verb, "tear off" means: To rip away from; to pull a piece from forcibly.
How do you pronounce "tear off"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tear off" is /tɛəɹ ɒf/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "tear off" come from?
"tear off" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “tear off”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is T-E-A-R- -O-F-F - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /tɛəɹ ɒf/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list